Beach Bum

It's been almost a week since I left Bangkok to pursue island life on Koh Chang and Koh Phayam and I must say that the islands are much better than the city. After taking a night bus from Bangkok to Ranong with Nick and Nils, we arrived at the Ranong bus station around 4:30am, and hopped in the back on someone's truck to get to the pier. Although getting in at that time was a little less than desired, we were able to watch the sun rise over the pier and enjoyed a quick nap. We waited for a boat that took us to Koh Chang, the water and islands are beautiful to see and riding on the boat was a great experience. We were picked up and brought to a wonderful little bungalow area, it was a bit of a walk from the main beach and was less resorty feeling that some of the other places but that made it all the better. The family that worked there were all very kind and very helpful in teaching us some Thai and in return learning some English. There were also two small white kittens that were constantly running around with each other, which of course I loved. In summary Koh Chang was full of walking around, swimming in the ocean and an awesome lake, drinking beer, eating delicious food, and relaxing. My bungalow was very simple with just a bed, a mosquito net, and a squat toilet. The squat toilets are still taking some used to and they're quite intimidating to me although there are just so simple. I never thought I would get so excited to see a western toilet and toilet paper like I do. We spent three nights there before heading over to Koh Phayam, this time by speed boat which was very quick. Nick had to head back to Bangkok so it's just Nils and I for now, and soon it will be just me. Koh Phayam is very busy compared to the sleepiness of Koh Chang, there are motorbikes everywhere, and there are a ton more peolple, shops, and bars. We've met a lot of people here already and they are all so interesting and awesome to talk to and hang out with. However on this island it feels like the amount of German tourists outnumbers everyone else. On our first night here we attending a Full Moon Party at this really cool bar made completely out of drift wood. It felt as if the whole island was there and everyone was dancing and drinking and having a great time. It has definitely been one of my favorite nights since I've been out. The rest of the time here on Koh Phayam has been riding around on the motorbike, being a beach bum, and socializing and drinking with all the other travelers at night. We've been staying in a tent while we've been here to save money and its actually not too bad, it reminds me of home. Today we attempted to snorkle but the water is a bit hazy, but I did see a monkey! 

It's been a little over a week that I've been traveling, so far I have managed to climb a 50 story abandoned tower in Bangkok, picked up a poisonous frog, devoured some delicious food, visited a sea gypsy village, met some unforgettable people, developed a very bad sunburn, attended an all island dance party, befriended many animals and have so far have not injured my self at all or gotten any kind of food poisoning. 

We will be heading to Burma in a few days and I am excited to check out another culture. I will be posting photos when I have a more reliable wifi connection.